


Team Spirit

by ardentaislinn



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ghost Hunters, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Getting Together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-14
Updated: 2017-02-14
Packaged: 2018-09-21 23:55:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9572516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ardentaislinn/pseuds/ardentaislinn
Summary: Jemma doesn't want any help hunting ghosts - well, disproving their existence. Until, perhaps, she does.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SuburbanSun](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuburbanSun/gifts).



Jemma adjusted the GoPro she'd strapped to her helmet and checked the angle of the picture on her tablet. She turned her head slowly, making sure it captured all of the dilapidated 18th Century mansion she was in.

She held up her tablet so it would record while facing her.

“Well, guys. You asked for it, and here I am. The Hastings Mansion. We’ll see if  _ this _ is the place I’ll finally see a ghost.”

She very much doubted it, but it didn’t hurt to play up for the cameras. She clicked off the camera and stepped forward. Autumn leaves crunched beneath her feet as she swept the beam of her torch over what had once been a grand entrance hall. Spiderwebs now gathered in the corners of the high vaulted ceilings, and the once vibrant wallpaper had peeled and crumbled into dust. The scent of mould and neglect clogged her nostrils.

No furniture remained in the space--it was empty except for the detritus from decades of abandonment.

The wind blew past, rattling what remained of the windows. Jemma shivered at the eerie sound, wondering if she should get a partner after all. At least it would mean she wouldn't go to these creepy places alone any more.

She shook off the thought and straightened her spine. She didn't need a partner--they’d only ruin the good routine she had and would encroach on her independence. She liked being the sole producer, director, star and editor of her own YouTube program. It gave her the freedom to have her show exactly how she wanted it with no interference.

Besides, she might end up with someone like Leo Fitz. He had a similar show to hers, only he used different investigative methods, and his viewcounts weren’t quite as good. Jemma hadn’t yet ceased to be smug about that fact.

She’d met him a few times at various conventions, and each time he insisted on suggesting new machines she could use. That she’d actually taken a few of his suggestion on board was beside the point--he obviously felt himself very superior if he dared to tell her how to do her job.

The wind howled again and a chill ran down Jemma's spine. If ghosts existed, it would definitely be in a place like this.

Thankfully, they didn't. And Jemma was going to continue proving it.

She took one last look around the entrance hall, then made her way toward the once-impressive staircase. The creaked alarmingly under her weight as she shuffled up them, careful to avoid the broken stairs in the middle.

Once at the top, she went into each room, affixing GoPros and monitoring equipment from her bag into the rooms most likely to have paranormal activity. Not that she expected any, but she had to be thorough if her audience were going to believe the debunking.

She talked to her tablet camera on selfie mode as she did, explaining to the audience what she was doing and why, showing them her methods--all the latest science, of course. She monitored the biological effects in each room, studying them to see if there were any differences in the atmosphere that might indicated the presence of ghosts.

This house was a popular location for her audience to suggest she check out. Many of them had heard stories of ghosts here--likely the same story, from the same source. Jemma figured it was about time that she prove them wrong.

Once done, she carefully eased down the staircase, concentrating on where she put her feet so she didn’t go straight through the rotting wood. She reached the bottom and swept her torch around with a self-satisfied feeling of accomplishment and--

“Ah!” she screamed, as her beam of light passed over a pale, ghostly face.

Her heart hammered painfully in her chest, her lungs squeezing tight. She blinked to clear the black spots and realised she was looking into the alarmed eyes of Leo Fitz.

“What the  _ hell _ are you doing here?” she asked, her hand clutching over her heart.

“Same thing you are, I imagine,” he retorted, holding his hands up in front of his face to block the harsh light of her torch. “Something tripped my monitors so I came to investigate. I’m guessing that was you?”

Jemma exhaled slowly, trying to get her heart rate under control, and lowered the beam of her torch to somewhere closer to his chest. “I guess so. I didn’t see equipment, though.”

He grinned. “I should hope not. You don’t want the subject to know they’re being monitored, do you?”

Jemma narrowed her eyes. “Subject? You mean a ghost?”

He scoffed in reply. “Of course not. But whoever is coming here and making people  _ think _ there are ghosts.”

Jemma relaxed slightly. “I see. You think that the accounts of activity in this house are just people messing around?” A curious hypothesis.

He shrugged. “Seems like the most likely explanation.”

They fell into silence. He cleared his throat. She scuffed her foot along the floor.

“Well…” Jemma began.

“So,” Fitz said at the same time.

They stopped, and smiled awkwardly.

“I suppose I should get back to my car,” said Jemma, waving her tablet with the monitoring apps on it.

“Right,” said Fitz. He hesitated. “Or you could, you know, join me? In my van?”

He winced and she could swear she saw a dull blush spread across his cheeks, even in the washed-out light of the torch.

“I…” said Jemma. “You want me to spend time with me?” A thought occurred to her and she narrowed her eyes. “You just want a look at my equipment.” She winced. “I mean, my monitoring devices.”

Fitz’s eyes widened in surprise. “What? No! I just thought...well, it can get a little lonely sometimes, is all. Staring at the machines. Thought it might be nice to have someone to talk to.”

It was Jemma’s turn to blush at the earnest expression on his face. She thought of her cramped car and the endless hours ahead staring at a screen that would never pick up any ghostly activities.

“Oh. I suppose...I suppose that might be alright,” she said.

A smile lit Fitz’s face, and Jemma realised with a shock that he was actually quite handsome. Why had she never noticed before?

He gestured for her to precede him, and Jemma stepped towards the door and out into the rush of cool night wind. She shivered, jamming her hands into her armpits.

“Let’s run,” said Fitz, hunched with his arms across his chest.

They did, sprinting across the uncut lawn toward his dark van on the street. They shimmied over the fence, ignoring the multiple ‘KEEP OUT’ and ‘PRIVATE PROPERTY’ signs. It wasn’t the first time she’d broken into a place for her show.

They leapt into his van and he immediately cranked the heat. Jemma looked around in awe at his wall of beeping machines, the lights blinking in numerous patterns.

“Wow,” she breathed.

“You like it?” he asked, sounding pleased. She turned to him, nodding, and her stomach swooped at the thrilled expression on his face.

“It’s so high tech,” she murmured.

“Yeah,” he replied. “I love gadgets.”

“I had no idea,” she told him. And she hadn’t. She’d thought that he’d been doing his own show for a laugh, not taking it seriously at all. But his van told a different story, making her think that he’d invested a lot of time and money into his show.

He dropped his gaze, picking up a random device and staring at it. “I took your advice about the EDI+ Meter,” he said. Jemma blinked, trying to remember what advice she’d given when. No doubt she’d spouted something off in retort when he’d dared to criticise her methods. Though, if he’d taken her advice, was he really so arrogant as she’d assumed? Perhaps he’d really meant well.

He handed her the device he’d been staring at, flat on his palm like an offering. “I went through the house before you arrived, if you want to have a look at the readouts.”

“Oh,” said Jemma. “Thank you.”

She flicked through the readings, but was too distracted to take much of it in. “Can I have a printout of these tomorrow?” she asked instead, handing it back to him.

“Oh, sure. If you want to give me your email, or phone number, I could definitely do that.” 

Jemma eyed him, sure that he was holding his breath and sitting with unnatural stillness. Was he waiting for her answer?

“Sounds great,” she said, and he let out a breath in relief. A slight smile curled at the corner of her lips as she studied him. Interesting.

“I took your advice, too,” she told him. “About the infrared cameras. They’ve been great.”

He grinned at her. “That’s great.”

They lapsed into silence, and turned to their respective pieces of equipment.

“It’s really cool that we’re doing this,” Fitz said eventually. Jemma’s gaze snapped to his. “Together, I mean. Maybe we should think about a crossover episode.”

Jemma bit back an immediate refusal, allowing his suggestion to properly process. “It could be fun,” she allowed. “Seeing how my competition does it.”

Fitz blinked. “You really see us as competition?”

Jemma frowned. “Don’t you?”

He shrugged. “Not really. I mean, you’re so popular.”

“Your view counts are nearly as good as mine,” she protested.

“You’re also amazing on camera,” he said, then ducked his head. “I mean, you look great--I mean.” He swallowed.

Warmth spread through Jemma.

“Thank you,” she said graciously. “You’re really not so bad yourself. You just need a little bit more confidence.”

He chuckled lightly. “You don’t say.”

“You have plenty of potential,” she insisted. “You’re handsome and a good sense of humour.”

His head snapped up. “You think I’m handsome?”

“I mean...yes,” Jemma said, unable to think of an excuse, and not really wanting to.

A slow smile graced his lips. “Right.” He shuffled a little closer to her. Jemma didn’t move away. Her heart began to beat a deep, inexorable rhythm in her chest.

“And you think I’m funny?” he asked. “Does that mean you’ve watched some of my videos?”

“Some,” she admitted.  _ All _ , her mind whispered.

He shifted even closer. “I really enjoyed our conversations at the conventions when we met,” he said. “You’ve got great ideas. No one challenges me like you do. It was all so stimulating.” He swallowed. “For my mind, I mean.”

A giggle escaped her at his accidental innuendo. She had been so sure that he’d been trying to show her up all those times they’d disagreed, but instead he’d been challenged and inspired. Jemma realised it was the same for her. She so rarely met someone her equal in passion or intelligence.

She moved closer to him now. His gaze darkened as she stopped inches away.

“I found you stimulating, too,” she whispered.

Her lips brushed his, softly at first. He responded, pressing his lips gently against hers and cupping her face. He brushed his thumb over her cheek, and a shiver ran down her spine in response.

She pressed herself closer, deepening the kiss, and he responded with a noise of surprise and increased enthusiasm.

They explored each other’s mouths until they were breathless and panting. Jemma knew they had to stop, had to pay attention to their monitors, but his lips were tempting her, drawing her back every time she tried to pull away.

Eventually, she found strength with the thought that she didn’t want their first time to be on the cold floor of his van.

“Fitz,” she whispered, breaking the kiss and resting her forehead against his. Her eyes stayed closed as she tried to recover her breath.

“Yeah?” he replied, his voice rough.

“I think a crossover is a great idea.”

“Yeah?”

She peeked through one eye. “Maybe even a partnership?” she suggested.

He grinned. “I’d be honoured to be your partner.”


End file.
